Tailgating is a popular activity surrounding football games, baseball games, car races, concerts and other recreational or sporting events. The majority of people picnicking or tailgating at such events normally carry their supplies in the trunk of a vehicle, the bed of a truck or the passenger compartment of a van or other vehicle. Typically, if desired, revelers may bring a portable table such as a card table or collapsible bench to set up and hold supplies.
Attempts have been made to provide means for securing tables within automobile trunks to conserve storage space. An example of such a table is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,151. In addition, the prior art discloses numerous devices that may be used as a table. An example of such a device is the pickup bed-extender as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,850. U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,731 illustrates a work bench on vehicle mounted tracks which may be extended from the rear portion of a pickup bed with drop-down legs. A pivotable table attached to rear doors or truck tailgates is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,461. Numerous other workbench, seat, or other support surface devices exist for use with trucks, vans, or cars, and these devices are adapted for convenient storage in a collapsed position, often concealed in a truck bed, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,595), bed and tailgate (U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,346), trunk (U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,151), or other vehicle wall (U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,468) when not in use.
Although there exists an assortment of vehicle-mounted or vehicle-concealed tables, benches, and other support surfaces, there has been and remains a need for a device that provides a support surface and that also provides storage and display functionality in an embodiment adapted for use with or without having a surface that may comprise an integral portion of a vehicle. The present invention may be practiced in embodiments that incorporate the use of a typical or xe2x80x9cstandardxe2x80x9d truck tailgate. Alternatively, the present invention may be practiced separately from a vehicle and may simply comprise a useful table and display apparatus that may be used for picnicking, tailgating, or product display. Applications therefore include social, recreational, and entertainment uses in addition to use by professionals, volunteers, hobbyists, or others at trade shows, product or service fairs, or any other activity wherein a support surface and a display surface are desired.
The present invention is a table having a movable or removable cap mounted thereon. The movable cap is preferably a pivotal cap that may be moved between at least two generally stable positions and that may be mounted by a variety of convenient means. Examples of such means include locking pins, snaps, or other means adapted for use with a removable cap, or attachments such as sliding pivot arms, hinged arms, telescoping connectors, or extension rods that are preferably adapted for use with a sliding cap. If removable, the cap may be mounted by any convenient means wherein the cap may be secured to the table in at least two different positions, i.e. a generally horizontally disposed xe2x80x9cclosed-capxe2x80x9d position, and a generally vertically disposed xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d position.
The present invention may be practiced such that the cap element comprises an actual or a model pickup tailgate. Such a cap allows for the use of a pickup tailgate handle as part of a locking mechanism to secure the cap to the table surface when in the xe2x80x9cclosed-capxe2x80x9d position. In addition, the moveable cap structure is adapted to allow for the inclusion of storage space within the cap. Whether in the form of a tailgate or otherwise, this cap structure is preferably in a form that may accommodate substructures adapted to hold and organize items such as promotional literature (for use in advertising), team paraphernalia, picnic supplies, or other items.
Finally, the cap that may be disposed in a generally vertical display position may serve as a display surface that includes writing, designs, or symbols that may be impressed, affixed, imprinted, or otherwise formed therein to allow fans to illustrate their support, to carry an image or logo for advertisers or promoters, or to simply provide an attractive and appropriate image or message for the desired application.